TY - JOUR
T1 - Fundamental physics with a state-of-the-art optical clock in space
AU - Derevianko, Andrei
AU - Gibble, Kurt
AU - Hollberg, Leo
AU - Newbury, Nathan R.
AU - Oates, Chris
AU - Safronova, Marianna S.
AU - Sinclair, Laura C.
AU - Yu, Nan
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Alan Kostelecký, Gilad Perez, Yevgeny Stadnik, Peter Graham, and Michael Taylor for helpful comments and discussions. We also thank Emily Caldwell and Robert Fasano for their careful reading of the manuscript. Part of the research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004). We also acknowledge support from the NASA BPS Fundamental Physics Program (KG, LH, NN, and CO), NSF Grant No. NSF QLCI Award OMA – 2016244, and NSF Grant No. PHY-1912465 (AD).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 IOP Publishing Ltd.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Recent advances in optical atomic clocks and optical time transfer have enabled new possibilities in precision metrology for both tests of fundamental physics and timing applications. Here we describe a space mission concept that would place a state-of-the-art optical atomic clock in an eccentric orbit around Earth. A high stability laser link would connect the relative time, range, and velocity of the orbiting spacecraft to earthbound stations. The primary goal for this mission would be to test the gravitational redshift, a classical test of general relativity, with a sensitivity 30 000 times beyond current limits. Additional science objectives include other tests of relativity, enhanced searches for dark matter and drifts in fundamental constants, and establishing a high accuracy international time/geodesic reference.
AB - Recent advances in optical atomic clocks and optical time transfer have enabled new possibilities in precision metrology for both tests of fundamental physics and timing applications. Here we describe a space mission concept that would place a state-of-the-art optical atomic clock in an eccentric orbit around Earth. A high stability laser link would connect the relative time, range, and velocity of the orbiting spacecraft to earthbound stations. The primary goal for this mission would be to test the gravitational redshift, a classical test of general relativity, with a sensitivity 30 000 times beyond current limits. Additional science objectives include other tests of relativity, enhanced searches for dark matter and drifts in fundamental constants, and establishing a high accuracy international time/geodesic reference.
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U2 - 10.1088/2058-9565/ac7df9
DO - 10.1088/2058-9565/ac7df9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85135213950
SN - 2058-9565
VL - 7
JO - Quantum Science and Technology
JF - Quantum Science and Technology
IS - 4
M1 - 044002
ER -